In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,830 and in my International Application No. PCT/US87/01972, I disclose a car-topable catamaran having inflatable pontoons and a rectangular collapsible frame in which the frame sub-assemblies could be collapsed so as to easily be car-topable and serve as a rack for containing other components of the catamaran. Inflatable hulls were secured in the bracket arches on the undersides of the sub-frame assemblies and a rudder frame or cage was pivotally mounted on the aft sub-frame assembly and adapted to receive a rudder which was identical to and interchangeable with the daggerboards.
The present invention is directed to improvements in catamaran-type boats, particularly sail boats, of the type disclosed in my above-identified U.S. patent and PCT application. Specifically, the invention herein is directed to improvements resulting in simplicity and ease of assembly, comfort, transport, ease of sailing for novices, as well as skilled sailors, manufacturing economies, and use of interchangeable components, and parts. Further, the sailboat according to the present invention provides safety, simplicity, comfort, ease of use at a reasonable cost. Fabrication techniques used in the manufacture of high performance boats have been incorporated in the present invention. The pontoons are made of "white water" quality material that is puncture-and-abrasion resistant. Each pontoon has two or more chambers and the mast tripod system (shrouds) is made of aluminum or composite tubing or aluminum magnesium alloy and reduces the novice's fears of ropes, wires and other items such as shackles, couplings, etc. Each pontoon cover (deck plate) may be foam-filled, and made of multiple layer fiberglass. The fore and aft cross tubes, mast and shroud tubes are foam-filled. Thus, even in the extremely unlikely event that all four pontoon chambers are punctured simultaneously, the foam-filled pontoon covers and inflatable boltsters or rollers will keep a sailor afloat until assistance arrives. By design, the boat herein sails nearly flat in all but the most severe weather conditions. This absence of heeling encourages relaxation that does not require the participants to shift from one side of the boat to the other when changing sailing directions. Because of its simplicity of design, it is easy for the non-sailor to master quickly.
In a preferred embodiment, a 16 foot boat incorporating the invention weighs about 200 pounds which is 35 to 50 percent less than similar sized boats. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, no individual component weighs more than about 35 pounds making the boat easy to handle by nearly anyone.
As noted above, many parts are made interchangeable. For example, the mast front centerboard mounting is a single aluminum magnesium casting which is used for both stepping the mast and mounting the centerboard or daggerboard, and the tiller/rudder assembly. A mast clevis at the lower end of the mast and the clevises for rigid shroud tubes, tiller arm and the like are interchangeable. The center or daggerboard and the rudder plate are interchangeable. The rigid shroud tubes are mounted on the molded deck plate assembly by a rotatable bar.
The hulls are interchangeable as well as the two deck plate assemblies. These two deck plate assemblies may be molded plastic with foam-filling which have pontoon embracing concavities which have edges shaped such that when the two deck plates are assembled they stack or interfit like a clam shell so that all tubes, sails, centerboard, rudder, deflated pontoons and components can nest into them. Moreover, this makes a strong container for storage and for car toping by even the smallest of cars. The entire boat when packed for storage or transport, in one preferred embodiment disclosed herein, measures only about 23 inches high by about 20 inches wide and about 8 feet long.